1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to backlight assemblies for liquid crystal displays and the like, and more particularly to a backlight assembly having a light pipe with an integral diffuser surface structure formed on a top or exit surface of the light pipe.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many backlight assemblies for illuminating displays, such as a liquid crystal display panel for a laptop computer, include a light pipe that internally reflects light via what is known as total internal reflection or TIR. When the light within the light pipe is incident on a front or exit surface at the proper angle, the light exits the front or exit surface. The light then typically passes through one or more layers of additional light diffusing, directing, and/or turning films before entering and illuminating the display. The light pipe typically includes a back or reflective surface that reflects light upward until the light eventually exits the light pipe through the front surface. A reflective layer is sometimes disposed adjacent the back surface of the light pipe to reflect light back into the light pipe that has exited through the back surface. The back surface of the light pipe often includes a number of structures or elements thereon that aid in reflecting light upward toward the front surface and in changing the angle of light reflected thereby.
FIG. 1 illustrates one type of prior art backlight assembly and display 20. The assembly 20 has a pair of light sources 21 located along opposite edges of a light pipe 22 with a plurality of silk screen dots 24 disposed on a back surface 26. These dots 24 are typically white or light colored so as to scatter and reflect light upward from the back surface 26 toward a front surface 28 of the light pipe 22. A reflective surface 30 is disposed adjacent the back surface 26 to reflect light back into the light pipe 22 that escapes through the back surface. The density and size of the dots 24 are manipulated in order to control the amount of light reflected from a particular area or region of the back surface 26 of the light pipe 22. Control of the dot density and size therefore is utilized to produce desired illumination or brightness characteristics for light exiting the front surface 28 of the light pipe 22.
The backlight assembly 20 also includes a separate diffuser film layer 32 disposed adjacent the front surface 28 of the light pipe 22. The diffuser film can vary but in one known embodiment, the diffuser is a 60xc2x0 circular diffuser. A pair of brightness enhancing film or BEF(trademark) layers 34 are disposed over the separate diffuser film layer 32 and arranged orthogonal to one another. These film layers are available from 3M Corp. of St. Paul, Minn. and the term BEF(trademark) is a TRADEMARK of 3M. Each BEF(trademark) layer typically has a plurality of optical elements such as prisms 35 on a front or top surface 36 facing away from the light pipe. Each BEP(trademark) layer 34 collimates light in one direction or axis so that all light exiting the light pipe 22 and the separate diffuser film layer 32 is collimated and redirected to near the normal direction of the backlight assembly by one of the BEF(trademark) layers.
An LCD panel 38, shown in phantom view in FIG. 1, is typically added to the backlight assembly over the second brightness enhancing film layer 34. The LCD panel 38 reduces the brightness of the overall backlight assembly by a factor of 10 after the light emitted by the backlight passes through the LCD panel.
The separate diffuser film 32 has a smooth back surface 40 facing toward the light pipe 22 and a diffuser surface structure on a front surface 42 facing away from the light pipe. When placed against the smooth front surface 28 of the light pipe 22, very little or no air gap is present between the light pipe front surface 28 and the diffuser film back surface 40.
FIG. 2 illustrates a graphic representation of the light output or brightness of the various components, as they are stacked together, for the silk screen dot light pipe and backlight assembly of FIG. 1. The graph represents brightness at virtually any point on the surface area of the components. The brightness value at any given point will vary when compared to other points on the surface area of the components, with the brightest area or region being close to the center of the backlight assembly. The brightness curve of this graph is not limited to only a vertical or horizontal axis measurement.
The LP curve shows the comparative brightness for light exiting only the light pipe for any given point over a range of angles from the normal to +/xe2x88x9290xc2x0 relative to the normal. The brightness is somewhat evenly distributed over the entire range of angles because of the reflecting and scattering characteristics of the dots. The DF1 curve shows the brightness over the range of angles, for the given point, of light passing through both the light pipe and the separate diffuser film. The diffuser film evens out the light dispersion but at the same time directs more light toward the normal. The BEF(trademark)1 curve shows the brightness over the same range of angles, for a given point, of light passing through the light pipe, the first diffuser layer, and the first BEF(trademark) layer. The first brightness enhancing film layer collimates light in only one direction or plane such as along the vertical axis of the display. The second BEF(trademark) layer further enhances the brightness of the backlight assembly by further collimating light in a direction orthogonal to the direction of the first BEF(trademark) layer. This final brightness output is identified in FIG. 2 by the BEF(trademark)2 curve and shows that a substantial portion of light emitted by the backlight assembly is normal to the front surface.
One problem with the silk screen dot light pipe and backlight assembly is that the brightness or luminance of light exiting the backlight assembly is not particularly high. The efficiency of the light pipe is merely adequate in directing light out of the front surface. This is because much light is scattered by the dots so that the light has Lambertian qualities and thus exits the light pipe as scattered. Also, the diffuser film is placed against the front, smooth surface of the light pipe leaving little or no air between the two surfaces. Much of the light incident on the front surface is at a relatively high angle, nearly parallel to the front surface. Because the light pipe and the diffuser film have very similar indexes of refraction, the light exits the light pipe at the same high angles. This light is either not directed to the display at all, or is not collimated sufficiently toward the normal. This light is therefore directed away from a desired viewing area normal to the surface and thus does not enhance the display brightness where needed.
FIG. 3 illustrates the other above-described prior art backlight assembly 50. The backlight assembly 50 has a light tapered wedge TIR light pipe 52 and at least one light source 54 disposed along one edge. A plurality of grooves 56 are formed parallel to one another and parallel to the light source along a back surface 58 of the light pipe. The backlight assembly 50 also includes a reflective surface 60 adjacent the back surface 58 of the light pipe that is similar to the surface 30 described above. The light pipe also has a front surface 62 opposite the back surface. A directional turning film or DTF(trademark) 64 is disposed adjacent the light pipe front surface 62. The term DTF(trademark) is a TRADEMARK of the assignee of the present invention and DTF(trademark) products are sold by the assignee of the present invention, Physical Optics Corp. of Torrance, Calif. The DTF(trademark) 64 has a plurality of optical elements 66 such as prism structures on a back surface 68 that faces toward the light pipe. The DTF(trademark) has a surface diffuser structure formed on a front surface or exit surface 70 of the DTF(trademark).
FIG. 3 shows exemplary light rays L traveling through and out of the backlight assembly. As shown schematically in FIG. 3, the grooves and hence the light pipe are designed, for example, to emit light at approximately 42xc2x0 and relative to the normal of the front surface or exit surface of the light pipe. The DTF(trademark) layer 64 is designed with its prism structures to accept light entering at 42xc2x0 and to redirect the light more toward the normal of the diffuser and the backlight assembly. The top diffuser layer is typically designed to slightly even out the light distribution. In one example, the top diffuser layer is intended to provide a circular light output for any given point thereon having a very small conical shape in the range of 0.5xc2x0 to about 5xc2x0. Thus, the diffuser helps to more evenly distribute light and yet keep the light fairly collimated and near the normal direction to the diffuser surface. The optical elements 66 further redirect the light toward the normal.
FIG. 4 illustrates the light exiting the light pipe 52 at a 42xc2x0 angle. FIG. 5 illustrates a graphic representation of the brightness or light output from the light pipe shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 5 shows the brightness output separately for the vertical axis at any horizontal point on the light pipe and for the horizontal axis at any vertical point on the light pipe. The vertical brightness component at any given point is centered at about 42xc2x0, which tends to maximize brightness for the viewer. The horizontal brightness component is fairly evenly distributed over the range of angles at any given vertical point.
The light pipe""s grooved construction is used in conventional backlight assemblies for reflecting light upward from the back surface of the light pipe at a particular angle so that the light exits the front surface at a predetermined angle. The grooves can be provided having different line density, line spacing, and/or surface angles so that the light exiting the top surface of the light pipe is controlled as desired. The backlight assembly with the grooved light pipe back surface is used for displays where the screen is intended to be visible from a fairly limited range of angles or directions. For example, some laptop computer screens are very bright and visible from certain viewing angles and are difficult or impossible to see upon rotating the screen by only a few degrees.
A known problem in this type of backlight assembly is a diagonal line or shadow effect. A diagonal shadow or line is often produced that starts in the upper corners of the display screen and extends diagonally downward from each corner. Apparently, the combined effects of the sharp corners, the ends of the light source, and the groove edges near the corners of the light pipe cause dead spots in light projected into the light pipe. Diagonal line effects are reduced by addition of the DTF(trademark) layer and the LCD panel to the backlight assembly, and while these additional layers also reduce the brightness of the display output, they do not eliminate the diagonal line or shadow.
There have been a number of methods and light pipe constructions designed to reduce diagonal line effects. One such method, described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/137,549 to Savant, et al. and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, teaches extending the light source beyond the edges of the light pipe. This method also teaches extending the edge length of the light pipe adjacent the light source to match the light source length to reduce the dead spots caused by the light pipe sharp corners and the light source ends. This method merely reduces, but does not eliminate diagonal lines or shadows in the light output. Another such method, described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/223,987 to Laine, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, teaches turning the groove faces 180 degrees on the back surface of the light pipe. Light entering the light pipe is then totally internally reflected to the far end of the light pipe and then reflected back toward the light source. Only then do the grooves reflect the light upward to the front or exit surface. This method also reduces but does not eliminate the diagonal line problem.
The present invention provides an improved light pipe construction and improved backlight assemblies that substitute for those described above. The backlight assemblies of the invention each include a light pipe with a diffuser surface structure integrally formed in the front surface of the light pipe. Depending on the diffuser surface structure light output characteristics, the diffuser significantly enhances the brightness of the backlight assembly output without eliminating the benefits of each type of backlight assembly.
One object of the present invention is to provide a backlight assembly constructed in essentially the same manner as a conventional backlight assembly but with improved brightness characteristics. A further object of the present invention is to provide a backlight assembly with enhanced brightness and yet with very little or no decrease in other performance characteristics. Another object of the present invention is to provide a backlight assembly that eliminates the diagonal line or shadow in the assembly output without detracting from the brightness and light directing characteristics of the backlight. A further object of the present invention is to provide a backlight assembly that requires no additional, different, or separate components when compared to the conventional backlight assembly constructions. Therefore, manufacturing, assembly and installation processes for the backlights and displays need not be changed to accommodate the backlight assembly of the invention.
To accomplish these and other objects, features and advantages of the invention, one embodiment of a backlight assembly is provided having a TIR light pipe with a light source disposed adjacent at least one edge. The light pipe has a back surface that reflects light and a front surface opposite the back surface through which light exits the light pipe. The light pipe defines a horizontal axis and a vertical axis, both generally parallel to the front surface of the light pipe and orthogonal to one another. The back surface of the light pipe includes a plurality of optical elements carried thereon. The light pipe of the invention has a surface diffuser microstructure formed integrally in the front surface.
In one embodiment, the optical elements on the back surface of the light pipe are a plurality of silk screen dots applied thereto. In another embodiment, the optical elements on the back surface of the light pipe are a plurality of grooves formed therein.
In one embodiment, the light pipe of the invention is incorporated into a backlight assembly for illuminating a display such as an LCD screen.
In one embodiment, a backlight assembly utilizes the light pipe as described above and has a plurality of silk screen dots on the back surface of the light pipe and a light diffusing film layer placed adjacent the front surface of the light pipe wherein the front surface has the diffuser micro-structure formed integral therein. A pair of BEF(trademark) layers are stacked adjacent the front surface of the light pipe and oriented 90xc2x0 relative to one another so that light exiting the light pipe is collimated in both the horizontal axis and vertical axis towards the normal to the front surface of the light pipe.
In one embodiment, the integral surface diffuser microstructure is embossed on the front surface. In another embodiment, the diffuser microstructure is molded onto the front surface of the light pipe when the light pipe is injection molded. In yet another embodiment, a diffuser microstructure is replicated in an epoxy layer on the front surface of the light pipe so as to be affixed permanently to the light pipe.
In one embodiment, the diffuser microstructure is designed to produce generally circular light output patterns wherein each surface structure produces a cone of light output. In one embodiment, the cone of light is normal to the front surface of the light pipe and has an angle of between about 0.1xc2x0 to about 20xc2x0. In one preferred embodiment, the range of angles is between about 0.5 and 10xc2x0.
In one embodiment, the diffuser microstructure is designed to produce generally elliptical light output patterns wherein each surface structure produces an ellipse shaped light output from a beam of light. In one embodiment, the ellipse is oriented so that the long component of the ellipse is arranged parallel to the light sources. In one preferred embodiment, the ellipse shaped pattern is about 90xc2x0 for the long component and 1xc2x0 in the short component.
In one embodiment, a backlight assembly utilizes a light pipe as described above having grooves formed on the back surface of the light pipe and has a DTF(trademark) layer with a plurality of optical elements where the DTF(trademark) layer is disposed adjacent the front surface of the light pipe. The DTF(trademark) layer receives the collimated light exiting the light pipe and redirects the collimated light in a desired direction. According to the invention, the front surface of the light pipe includes the surface diffuser microstructure formed integrally therein that produces a light output pattern with an elliptical shape. The long component of the ellipse is arranged generally parallel to the light sources and to the DTF(trademark) optical elements.
In one embodiment, the long component has an angle ranging between about 30xc2x0 and about 100xc2x0. In one embodiment, the short component has an angle ranging between about 0.2xc2x0 and about 10xc2x0.
In each of these embodiments, the integral surface diffuser on the light pipe enhances the brightness of the backlight assembly. In the grooved back surface embodiment, the integral surface diffuser also completely eliminates the diagonal line problem.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and better understood when considered in conjunction with the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that while indicating preferred embodiments of the present invention, the following description is given only by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention and the invention includes all such modifications.